Wire puzzle



1957 P. A. VHAGEN 2,779,600

WIRE PUZZLE Filed Dec. 22, 1954 Peter A. Hagen INVENTOR.

Z M M United States Patent WIRE PUZZLE Peter A. Hagen, Opheim, Mont.

Application December 22, 1954, Serial No. 476,916

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-458) This invention generally relates to a puzzle and more specifically provides a wire puzzle constructed of a continuous piece of wire together with an elongated handle having a loop on the end thereof for movement onto the continuous piece of wire and by certain manipulative procedure causing the loop and handle to move completely along the continuous piece of wire and oft" the other end thereof.

An object of the present invention is to provide. a wire puzzle that is intriguing, relatively simple in construction, novel, amusing and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a puzzle of a continuius piece of wire having a movable loop thereon together with an elongated handle that presents an apparently insolvable problem for one not acquainted with the proper method of manipulating the handle for movement onto and along the continuous piece of wire to a position off the other end thereof.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafte-r described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the wire puzzle of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the construction of Figure 1 showing the handle secured to a midportion of the wire puzzle; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the wire puzzle of the present invention showing the elongated handle in one of the critical manipulative movements in solving the puzzle.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that the numeral generally designates the wire puzzle of the present invention including a spiral portion generally designated by the numeral 12, a small inverted U-shaped member generally designated by the numeral 14 that is positioned in the middle of the spiral portion 12 and an enlarged inverted U-shaped portion 16 that is positioned in the same plane as the inverted U-shaped member 14 and generally encloses the spiral portion 12.

The spiral portion 12 includes an outer convolution 18 and an inner convolution 2%) formed continuously with each other and the outer convolution 18 is formed integrally with a vertically extending hook-shaped portion 22 that is reversely bent upon itself forming a down wardly opening hooklike member. The convolutious 18 and 29 are generally disposed in horizontal planes with the inner convolution 20 being disposed slightly be low the outer convolution 13 for a purpose described hereinafter. The inner end of the inner convolution 29 is bent at right angles, as indicated by the numeral 24, and extends upwardly and forms one leg 26 of the small inverted U-shaped member 14. The other leg 28 of the inverted U-shaped member 14 extends downwardly after being reversely bent at the apex 30. The leg 28 extends downwardly inside the inner convolution 20 to a point therebelow and is bent at right angles at a point 32 and forms a horizontal laterally and outwardly extending portion 34 which terminates in a right angle bend 36 which forms an elongated upstanding leg 38 of the inverted U-shaped member 16 which is disposed in the same plane as the inverted tJ-shaped member 14 and generally encloses the same. The leg 38 continues as a horizontal bight portion 46 and a downwardly and outwardly inclined leg portion 42 which terminates in a reversely bent hook-like portion 44 which is similar to the hook portion 22 on the spiral 12, and the hook portions 22 and 44 are hooked over each other and the l1ook-like portion 44 forms an upwardly opening hook wherein the free ends of the puzzle are disposed adjacent each other.

An elongated handle 46 of wire is provided with an eye 48 on one end thereof having a loop 56 positioned therein and secured thereto for movement therewith. The entire apparatus is constructed of wire, although it will be understood that other similar material may be utilized.

In the solution of the puzzle, it is necessary to move the loop 50 attached to the handle 46 from one free end of the puzzle it) to the other free end thereof by utilizing a certain procedure. Until this procedure is learned, it is practically insolvable and impossible to move the loop 5% along the entire length of the continuous piece of wire forming the puzzle 10.

First, the loop 50 is positioned over the free end of the hook-like portion 44 and drawn downwardly through the spaced legs of the hook-like member 22 and thence along the portions 42, 4t) and 38 of the inverted U-shaped member to. As the loop 50 engages the horizontal portion 34, the handle 45 is moved to a position underlying the spiral portion 12 and the handle 46 is then inserted between the outer convolution l3 and the inner convolution 29 and moved inwardly substantially in bisecting relation to the spiral member 12 and then moved upwardly along the inner surface of the inverted U-shaped member 14- substantially as indicated in Figure 3. The handle 4-6 is continued upwardly until it may follow the periphery of the inner convolution 20 so that the loop 50 will then be able to move upwardly along the leg 23 and then downwardly along the leg 26 and around the inner convolution and the outer convolution of the spiral 12 and thence up and off the hook-like portion 22. The exact reversal is utilized in going the other way, and after practice, the device may be quickly manipulated.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the in vention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents maybe resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A puzzle comprising a continuous piece of wire formed as a spiral, an inverted U-shaped member disposed in the center of said spiral and projecting upwardly therefrom, one leg of said U-shaped member integrally formed as a continuation of the inner convolution of the spiral, the other leg of said U-shaped member extending below thespiral and extending radially outwardly under the spiral, said radially extending portion terminating in an enlarged inverted U-shaped member generally lying in the same plane as the U-shaped member within the spiral, said enlarged U-shaped member and the spiral terminating in adjacent ends, an elongated handle having an eye at one end thereof and having a length substan tially greater than the height of the enlarged inverted arraeoo vlursliapedmember, anda loop attached-to said eye for movement along the piece of wire upon proper manipulation of" the handle whereby the radially extending portion of the other leg of the U-shaped member prevents movement of the handle along the wire.

27 A puzzle comprising a continuous piece of wire formed as a spiral, an invertedU-shaped member disposed in the center of said spiral and projecting upwardly therefrom, one leg of said U-shaped member integrally formed as a continuation of the inner convolution of the spiral, the other leg of said U-shaped member extending below the spiral and extending radially outwardly under the spiral, said radially extending portion terminating in an enlarged inverted U-shaped member generally lying in the same plane as the Lts'naped member within the spiral, said enlarged U-shaped member and the spiral. terminating in adjacent ends, an elongated handle having an eye at one end thereof and having a length substan tially greater than the height of the enlarged inverted U-shaped member, and a loop attached to said eye for movement along the piece of wire upon proper manipu lation of the handle whereby the radially extending pol tending below the spiral and extending radially outwardly 1 under the spiral, said radially extending portion termimating in an enlarged inverted U-shaped member generally lying in the same plane as the U-shaped member within the spiral, said enlarged U-shaped member and the spiral terminating in adjacent ends, an elongated handle having an eye at one end'thcreof and having a length substantially greater than the height of the enlarged inverted U-shaped member, and a loop attached to said eye for movement along the piece of wire upon proper manipulation of the handle whereby the radially extending portion of the other leg of the U-shaped member prevents movement of the handle along the wire, said spiral'having'an inner'convolution disposed slightly below the outer convolution for permitting horizontal movement of the elongated handle between the inner and outer convolutions, said enlarged U-shaped member and said spiral terminating in hook portions engaged over each other and forming an entrance and exit for said loop in relation to the wire.

4. A puzzle comprising a continuous piece of wire formed as a spiral, an inverted U-shaped member disposed in the center of said spiral and projecting upwardly therefrom, one leg of said U-shaped member integrally formed as a continuation of the inner convolution of the spiral, the otherlegof said U-shaped member extending below the spiral and extending radially outwardly under the spiral, said. radially extending-portion terminating in an enlarged inverted U-shaped member generally lying in the same plane as the U-shaped member within the spiral, said enlarged U-shaped member and the spiral terminating in adjacent sends, an elongated handle. having eye at one end thereof and having a length substan tially greater than the heigh tlof the enlarged inverted U-shaped member, and a loop attached to said eye for movementtalong the piece of wire upon proper manipulation of the handle whereby the radially extending portion of the other leg or the U-shape-d member prevents movement of the handle along the wire, said spiral having an inner convolution disposed slightly below the outer convolution for permitting horizontal movement of the elongatedhandle between the inner and outer convolutions, said enlarged U-shaped member and said spiral terminating in hook portions engaged over each other and forming an entrance and exit for said loop in relation to the wire, said convolutions of the spiral being spaced to permit loose movement of the eye and loop therealong whereby the handle may be moved horizontally between the convolutions of the spiral and then moved vertically between the U-shaped members so that the eye and adjacentportion of the handle may be moved completely along the wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 153,717 Magerhaus Aug. 4, 1874 621,506 Skalla Mar. 21, 1899 783,091 Alvord Feb. 21, 1905 

